Shipping container for glass



APT 10, 1956 s. E. coRTRlGHT 2,741,362

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR GLASS Filed April 24, 1953 l L l f April 10, 1956 s. E. coRTRlGHT SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR GLASS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1955 uventor iiilllll YW Gtornegs United States Patent O This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 728,841 for Shipping Container for Glass, led Febru- Y ary l5, 1947, in the name of Samuel E. Cortright, the prent applicant. Y

This invention relates to an improved packing arrange ment intended particularly for the safe boxing of articles for protection against breakage and injury from blows and strains incident to rough handling in storage and transit. While applicable to the packing of a wide variety of articles the invention was developed with reference particularly to packaging at the factory of automobile windshield and window glass to be installed at garages and service stations as replacements.

The customary practice is to assign an identifying part number to each size and type of glass and each piece is individually boXed to be sent out as orders corne in from the field. Breakage before delivery has been a costly v and annoying problem and to minimize breakage and incidentally to simplify and to reduce the weight and cost of packing materials it is here proposed to insert the glass in a at carton with an embracing spacer, which both abuts the carton side, end, top and bottom walls and encircles and pockets the glass edges to hold the glass spaced in all directions from the carton walls with the several parts cooperating to distribute and cushion shock and relieve the fragile sheet from undue stress.

A preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is an elevation with parts in section showing a single glass in storage position within a container before the end aps are closed and sealed; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, as on line 7.-,-2 lof Figure l; Figure 3 shows in perspective fragments of Vcooperating.layers of the packing strip before the layers are joined together; Figure 4 is a perspective showing a portion of a completed packing strip; Figure 5 illustrates in perspective a number of packing strips-cooperating to locate a number of articles and Figure 6 shows several articles to be shipped in a single carton.

While various materials may be employed a suitable material for the carton and packing strip is found to be the well known corrugated type of laminated paper board whose central layer is corrugated. The enclosure for the glass sheet 1 includes the at top and bottom walls 2 2, the pair of oppositely disposed side walls 3--3 and the pair of oppositely disposed end walls 4-4 at least one of the latter being constituted by bendable flaps which can be turned down and sealed after the carton is loaded. Spacing the glass sheet from all of the carton walls is an edge embracing strip which bottoms on the side walls 3 and end walls 4 of the carton and whose width Ais of a size to t the interior height of the carton so that its opposite edges snugly contact with the oppo` site` top and bottom carton walls 2--2.I This packing strip is constituted by three separately formed layers,

-including an inwardly disposed corrugated strip S, a corrugated intermediatestrip 6 and an outer at backing of being bent at right angles to its plane.

ice g In the formation of the ypacking layers the innermost strip 5` has cut therein a series of longitudinally spaced slots 8 intermediate the side edges thereof and is also provided with a series of transversely extending and longitudinally spaced score lines to facilitate the working of the strip into the corrugated or wavy .outline illustrated in the drawings. Thus the strip in final form includes a series of longitudinally spaced flat base portions between which are the intervening angularly disposed or convergent projections which contain-the slots or cutouts across their crests or apices. The intermediate strip 6 is similarly vscored but the spacing of the score lines is such that when the strip is bent to wavy outline the convergent projections between the at base portions are of lesser height than the corresponding projections of the inner strip S. These two strips 5 and 6 when brought together with the projections nested one within the other and the flatrbase portions in seated relation are then joinedy in the regions of their bases to the at backing strip 7 by gluing, riveting or stapling so that the inextensible backing strip ties the pair of cooperating corrugated strips against collapse or distention. Packing strips of indefinite length may be formed from which portions may be cutV oi according to the size of the packing strip required. The initial manufacture of the packing strip may involve the formation of wide sheets which subsequently are sheared into a number of strips of whatever width is required.

For packing individual sheets singly in one carton the strip may be cut to a length in excess of the peripheral dimension of. the glass so that the strip can be applied to the glass withrits opposite ends overlapping and these ends may be stapled or glued together so thatthe glass, with its edges pocketed within the slots, is completely ringed by the packing. The slots which receive the glass edges are preformed to a width substantially corresponding to the width of the glass so assnugly to t the sides of the glass and they are of a depth at least to extend into alignment with, if not beyond, the crests ofthe corrugations of the intermediate strip 6, so that the latter abut or seat'against the glass edges. A slight amount of yield, either inherent` in the material or purposely built into it, will serve to cushion shock and inertia forces transmitted between the carton and the glass. If desired greater resistance can vbe incorporated into the packing strip material or any selected layer thereof. Optionally any one or two of the three layers constituting the packing strip may be narrower than the width of thecarton so long as one of the layers snugly lits the top and .bottom carton walls 2-`2 to keep spaced therefrom thevglass sheet which is located betweenthe parts of the innermost 'layer on opposite sides of the edge receiving slot. l

For shipping a group of articles in a single container aseries of the strips may be placed side by side and .inserted in succession in the container in the manner single row or multiple rows of slots it will be found` feasible for certain uses to employ a series of spaced lengths of packing strips instead of a single strip completely bounding the article.

I claimt l.' In a device of 'the lcharacter described, a container, 'a packing strip 'to encircle the marginal edge 'of an article within theV container and to abut the opposite sidesand ends and thetop and bottom ofthe container, said packing strip comprising a-single length of` material embodying three separately formed and joined together layers, one being'a fiat non-stretchable backing which is flexible in la direction transverse of its plane, another being of substantially corrugated outline having a series of longitudinallyv spaced flat portions for attachment to the backing and inwardly projecting ribs between said flat portions for locating abutment with the edges of the article in spaced relation to the container side and end walls and the third being of substantially corrugated outline with a series of longitudinally spaced flat portions mating with and for attachment to the corresponding at portions of the intermediate layer and having between said dat portions inward projections in nested relation with and of greater size than said article locating abutment ribs, said projectionshaving slots thereacross to receive therein the article edges with the margins of said slots oppositely iitting the Varticle marginal portion inwardly of its edge and spacing Y but of lesser depth so that its crests afford lateral seats to cooperate with the'iirst mentioned seating formations by abutment with the margin of said article edge portion and a non-stretchable backing strip for stiffening the zigzag strips against longitudinal distention.

' 4. Means for shipping relatively lightweight and generally at articles in a paper shipping carton having at top, bottom, side and end walls, said means comprising a lami y nated band of a width substantially corresponding to the interior space between the top and bottom walls of the carton and arranged for close proximity to the carton side and end walls when it is wrapped peripherally of the article with opposite ends overlapped and secured together, said article embracing band having at least three distinct layers, one of which is an outer normally ilat band backing of greater stiffness in the direction of its width, and the other two of which are respectively inner'and intermediate layers, both of generally corrugated contour having mating and longitudinally spaced at base portions secured together and to the backing and having inwardly convergent projections between said at base portions, those projec- .tions on the intermediate layer being more shallow than and being nested within those on the inner layer, said projections on the inner layer having a row of slots cut across the apices thereof and through the sides at least to a depth aligned with the height of the apices ofthe projections of the intermediate layer to receive the edge of said article abutting the apices of the projections of the i intermediate layer with the opposite sides of the article adjacent kits edge, bearing in the projections of the inner layer at opposite sides of said slots therein.

5. vrIn an article protective loading device, a strip having a row of spaced slots therein and being Vformed to generally wavy outline with said slots located across the crests of the waves to pocket and article edge portion, a second strip formed to wavy outline with its troughs Ybearing on the troughs of the rstrstrip and its crests nested within but of lesser height than the crests of the rst strip so as to constitute abutment seats for the margin of saidarticle edge portion and a non-stretchable third strip secured to the troughs of the first and second strips.

6. In an article protective loading device, a strip having a row of spaced slots therein and being formed to genern ally wavy outline with said slots located across the crests of the waves to pocket an article edge portion, a second strip formed to wavy outline with its troughs beating on the troughs of the first strip and its crestsnested within but of lesser height than the crests of the rst strip so as to constitute abutment seats for the margin of said article edge portion and tie means to resist distention of said wavy strips under tension force.

7. A texible packing strip suitable for'resiliently supporting a fragile article at its edges; including three superimposed members rnade from iiat strips of material secured together to form a unitary structure, the inner member having a series of comparatively high corrugations formed by folding said material, said high corrugations having aligned slots therein transversesaid folds providing a cor1- tinuous article receiving channel for engaging successive edge portions of said article to be packed, a second member having corrugations corresponding to, but lower than, those of said first member so that the apices thereof engage the outer edge of said article when said article is received in the slots of said first member, and a at backing member supporting said first two members to prevent the attening of the corrugations in said iirst two members when the weight of the article is supportedrtherein.

8. A packing strip to encompass the edge of an article and to be placed therewith as a subassembly within a container in abutment with and to hold the article in spaced relation to the opposite sides and ends and the top and bottom of the container, including a band having longitudinally spaced tooth-like formations on its inner side and being flexible to permit bending around the marginal edges of the article, certain of said formations being of greater depth than others and having aligned slots intermediate their width to pocket the edge of the article and remaining formations being of suliicient depth to abut the article edge pocketed in said slots and to thereby locate the article spaced from the side and end walls of the container.

9. A wrap around packing comprising an elongated flexible packing strip having parallel edges and having successive pairs of laterally disposed projections of differ ent heights formed at one side of said strip and with said edges and projections continuing throughout the length thereof, the higher of said projections having aligned slots formed intermediate the ends thereof and providing a con tinuous article receiving channel for progressively engaging and resiliently supporting the successive edge portions of an article to be packed and extending from one end to another of said packing strip, said slots forming said article receiving channel being deep .enough to expose the lower of said projections to engagement by the edges of said article to provide successive abutment means at the bottom of said channel for opposing the lateral displacement of said article relative to said strip.

l0. A device of the character described comprising a strip having a number of folds formed therein to afford a series of longitudinally spaced transverse tooth formations, said'fcrmations being formed by pairs of leg portions and having slots formed across said formations at the apices thereof, said slots cooperating with one another to form an article edge receivingpocket through the apices of a plurality of said formations, said leg portions of adjacent pairs of said formations being joined at the ends thereof opposite said apices by short length hat connecting base portions separating said formations from one another, and means joining said short length at connecting base portions to one another and extending between said folds for preventing the distention of said strip.

l1. A flexible packing strip suitable for resiliently supporting a fragile article at its edges; including two superimposed members made from flat strips of material, secured together to form a unitary structure, the inner member having a series of comparatively high corrugations formed by folding said material, said high cornugations having aligned slots therein transverse said folds providing a continuous article receiving and supporting channel for engaging successive edge portions of said article to be packed, and a dat backing member supporting said inner member to prevent the flattening Iof the oorrugations in said inner member when the weight of the article `is supported therein.

12. A wrap around packing comprising an elongated flexible strip having spaced and transversely disposed projections formed at one side thereof and having paralicl outer edges extending throughout the length of said strip and between said projections, said projections having slots formed intermediate the ends thereof and within corresponding edges of each projection and providing a continuous article receiving channel throughout the length of said strip, said strip when extended in a plane along the bases of a plurality of said projections including means disposed between and spacing said projections and across and connecting the sides of said projections and limiting thelength of said strip.

13. A wrap around packing comprising an elongated iiexible strip having spaced and transversely disposed projections formed at one side thereof and having parallel outer edges extending throughout the length of said strip, said projections having slots formed intermediate the ends thereof and within corresponding edges of each projection and providing a continuous article receiving channel throughout the length of said strip, said strip when extended in a plane along the bases of a plurality of said projections including means disposed between and spacing said projections and across and connecting the sides of said projections and limiting the length of said 10 strip.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,802,522 Moll Apr. 28, 1931 2,261,280 Pennebaker et al Nov. 4, 1941 2,431,535 Bergstrom Nov. 2S, 1947 

